TheShavingofOccam123:I will see your theory and raise you an axiom that American obesity is caused or exacerbated by the now universal presence of air conditioning. We used to burn enormous amounts of energy from our bodies trying to keep cool. We now burn enormous amounts of coal energy trying to keep cool.

Thailand disproves this. Obesity is not a problem here, and AC is pretty much required and therefore ubiquitous. Thai people depend on air conditioning so much that I have considered the hypothesis that Thailand was actually uninhabited before the invention of the air conditioner, at which point it was colonized by Eskimos. Everything about "Thai Culture and History" was made up by marketing departments to attract tourists.

/seriously, I'm from the States originally and have lived most of my life in temperate zones with 4 seasons, and I am acclimated to the heat here better than most Thai people

It really isn't fair though. I've always had it easy when it comes to weight. Though I've had just enough of a pooch to cover my stomach muscles since I was in high school (if I work out my abs a lot, I really only ever get a four pack at best), I've never been one to gain weight. And back in my twenties I used to eat a lot. Now in my late forties, it's getting easier to gain fat, but I'm also more sedentary than I've ever been. Pushing back on hanging out in front of the computer to go for a walk instead can take some self discipline. But I just got back from a seventeen mile long bicycle ride. And it was only seventeen miles because I'm just now getting back in riding shape this year. If you want to eat a lot, get into hard core cycling. Your average Tour De France rider eats 10,000 calories a day, and still loses weight during the tour. Go do a century ride, and you've earned a nice fattening meal.

I am a fatty, but far less I was. I've gone from 394 lbs on New Year's Day this year to 311 lbs as of this morning. No, I haven't had surgery. I have to be extremely mindful about the food I eat in order to lose weight. What really helped though was encountering stories of people who have achieved weight loss on a similar level to what I hope to achieve. I have a new relationship with food. I pack my own lunches for work and I'm a much better cook than I used to be.

There's all sorts of issues tied up with obesity - impulse control, the ability to enjoy delayed gratification, weighing up convenience against quality. I'm not going so far as to blame society for my weight problem. There's a reason why people like me are at the far end of the bell curve, but access to calorie dense foods is greater now than ever, as is the marketing for such products.

Alcoholism is classified as a disease, even though you choose to have the first drink that leads to the second that leads to the millionth. Being sad (depression) is classified as a disease. No reason why obesity shouldn't receive the same consideration.

Depression is "the rent needs to be paid today, I've got the money, but fark it. I can't move today. Let them them evict me. Then I can start a fight and get shot by the cops and end my miserable existence."

Now imagine having thoughts like that every hour of every day for your entire life.